Safety in Another's Arms
by alwayskayla
Summary: I'm already experiencing withdrawals. To combat them, I'm writing Caryl fanfic. When Carol has a close encounter with a dangerous foe, Daryl realizes how much he cares for her, and that protecting her is the most important thing to him now. This is kind of short, so there may be a follow up. We shall see. Thanks for reading!


Summer = Walking Dead Withdrawals

Already.

That finale was awesome. It was definitely different than what I was expecting, but I loved it. I hate that Andrea died, but her final moments with the team and then Michonne were so perfectly heartbreaking. (Although! It wouldn't take anyone that long to pick up a damn pair of pliers!) Anyway, that tiny hand-squeeze scene between Carol and Daryl threw gasoline all over my shipper fire. I love those two!

This will probably just be a oneshot, or turn into a bank of unrelated Caryl fics as I get inspired :) Also, there is little plot here. It's pretty much just PWP. Sorry not sorry.

I do not own The Walking Dead or any of its characters. I just like to play puppet master.

This is rated M. If sex or colorful language offends you, back up. Y'all have been adequately warned. ;)

* * *

Running. She was running through a thicket of branches and discolored leaves. Her legs were burning and her lungs screaming for air, but she kept pushing. She could see the outline of the prison through gaps in the overgrowth but the growling threat was much closer and sounded like it was closing in on her. Often they forgot that there were threats other than the undead that loomed in the surrounding forest. A dark gray wolf had surprised Carol as she and Daryl had gone into the woods on a mid day hunting trip. They didn't venture far from the haven of the prison, but it only took a second of being out of each other's sight for malice to befall the duo.

The wolf had lunged at her from behind a shrub and had she not ducked at precisely the right moment, Carol would have become its dinner. Daryl heard her gut wrenching scream and immediately took off in her direction. They had wandered apart to double team a buck they were tracking, but apparently the wolf wanted it too.

Daryl ran as fast as he could, his eyes scanning his surroundings for any sight of Carol or whatever she was running from. He heard a gunshot followed by another scream.

Carol tripped after turning to fire her weapon. The stumble caused her bullet to kill nothing but air and before she could fire again she fell hit the ground and her gun bounced from her reach. The wolf readied itself to pounce on it's prey and Carol closed her eyes and instinctively shrank into a ball.

The impact never came, though. She heard the distinct sound of an arrow flying through the air before the wolf's growl stopped short and it fell to the ground at her feet. The next thing she heard were heavy boots running to her side and strong arms wrapping around her small form. She clutched at his shirt as he enveloped her in his safe embrace. Daryl pulled back and held her soft face in his hands. Blurry, wet eyes locked on one another.

"I though... I thought I'd lost you." He said as his forehead rested on hers.

"I heard the leaves rustling and thought it was a walker. I... I had my gun ready but when that thing jumped out I was so shocked I just ran."

"Just glad you're okay," Daryl said as he became aware of just how close they were in this moment. He put up a strong front, but emotional shit like this scared the pants off of him. So he backed off and helped Carol to her feet and then tied his rope around the wolf's front legs, "Never eat wolf before, but it's worth a shot. Might be the only fresh meat we see for a week in this cold. Even the deer are starting to hide." Carol smiled as he spoke in her general direction. She understood this misunderstood man. Two damaged souls, they both had skeletons in their closets and scars from the past. This new world, as fucked up as it was, had changed each of their lives. It was hard to swallow sometimes, and it hurt like hell most of the time, but both Carol and Daryl were better people because of the events of the past two years.

They made their way back to the prison with no more excitement. Later, Carol and Maggie cooked dinner, the group ate and everyone settled in for the night. Rick took watch for the first half of the night with plans to wake Glenn for the morning shift. Lying awake just inside the first cell on the perch, Daryl stared at the bottom of the top bunk. The scene from earlier in the woods replayed over and over in his head. Had he been five seconds later... He didn't want to think about what would have happened. He should have never let Car out of his sight. She could take care of herself, but it scared him too much for her to have to try. He wanted to take care of her.

"Trying to stare a hole in that mattress?" Carol's light voice jolted him from his thoughts. He jumped like a child with his hand caught in the cookie jar and sat up to see her leaning against his cell door, a small smile gracing her soft features. "Didn't mean to scare you," she said.

"Yeah... Knock or something next time," he stammered, his eyes shifting from the floor to her eyes and back.

She tapped her knuckle on the bar of the door and shifted her weight, "Can I come in?"

He scooted over to make a spot for her to sit down in response. She sat down beside him and placed her hand delicately on his.

"I didn't get to thank you earlier."

"For what? Almost getting you killed?" he looked at her incredulously and stood from the bed to pace around the room.

"For saving my life, Daryl."

"You wouldn't have needed saving if I had kept you close like I should have. Damned deer or not, keeping you safe should have been my top priority." He was frustrated at himself and frustrated at her for not being angry with him. She should be angry. Why was she not angry?

"Daryl," she stood and walked over to where he was standing with his hands pressed against the wall as if he were the only thing holding it up, head hanging between his bare, strong biceps and the scars from his childhood stood out in stark contrast to the tan skin of his back and the intricate pattern of tattoos. She put her warm hands on his back. His muscles contracted under her touch but then she felt him begin to relax.

"You saved me. Again." Her hands continued to glide over his back, "I just want you to know that I'm grateful. If I can ever repay you..." She was cut off when Daryl spun around and held her face between his hands for the second time that day.

"If you want to repay me, dont ever leave my sight again," her response was swallowed in a fiercely gentle kiss that had her weak in the knees for the first time since her teenage years. His hands were everywhere at once and hers were entangled in his hair grasping and pulling at its roots. His arms encircled her waist and pressed her close to him. He needed to feel her, know that she was alive and there with him. "I wanna protect you from everything wicked in this world. You've seen enough horrors for six lifetimes. I just..." He said as he pulled away and rested their foreheads together again, "I want happiness for you, that may be out of reach right now, so I'll settle for safety. I promise you I'll keep you safe," and he kissed her again.

"Right now," she said, "I'm happier than I've been in years." He pulled her against him again and backed up to the bunk, his back hitting the bar at the end. They kissed with a fervor that neither had ever experienced.

Unwilling to force anything on this beautiful woman in front of him, Daryl waited for her cue that she wanted this. When her hands found the hem of her own shirt and pulled it over her head before unhooking her bra, it was all the hinting he needed. His lips lit a fire of goose bumps and blushed skin down her neck and along her collar bone. The breathy noises coming from her mouth urged him on. He sat down on the bed and pulled her onto his lap. Hands splayed under her back, she leaned back into his grasp as his lips descended on her breasts. Her nails dug into his arm muscles as he licked and sucked her into a frenzy.

After his ministrations, her nipples strained at attention and her chest moved with her erratic breathing. She sat up in his arms, crushed their mouths back together, and pushed him back on the bed. She straddled his hips while their tongues battled. She relented happily when he rolled them and sandwiched her between himself and the lumpy mattress. Daryl unbuttoned her pants and helped her shuffle out of them. Then he slid down her body and settled between her thighs. The sight of that alone almost made her come. She'd never been loved in this way before. His hot breath on her core made her pant in anticipation, but when his tongue made contact with her core, she thought she would explode. She fisted the sheets as he continued to make her squirm. He added a finger and began to work it inside her when he felt her fingers pulling at his hair and holding his head steady, silently begging him to never stop. He latched onto her clit with his lips and sucked hard. He let his teeth graze her while he continued working two digits inside him and smiled against her when her body arched into him. It was a smile of adoration.

Not nearly ready for this moment to be over, Daryl crawled back up her body as she helped him out of the rest of his clothing. Their eyes locked as he sank into her core. Her head fell back and his forward as they became joined in the most intimate way. The sensation overwhelmed both of them and their hands grasped at each other's bodies wherever they could reach. Her nails dug into his arms once again when he began moving inside her. She met his every thrust and held his gaze until her eyes squeezed closed as she neared the edge of ecstasy.

"Look at me," he begged, "I need to see you."

She opened her eyes and held his gaze as he continued thrusting and they both fell off that edge holding each other as close as possible and silently screaming. They'd all but forgotten they cell block full of people right below them, but they had enough frame of mind to keep relatively quiet. Still joined, he pulled her onto his chest as their breathing calmed and their muscles stopped spasming.

Contented smiles graced both of their faces. His arms encircled her protectively and her hand rested right above his heart as they drifted off to a peaceful and dreamless sleep.

Happiness and safety were two very rare commodities in this world they lived in, but in that moment, these two healing souls had both.

-K


End file.
